Mouthpiece cover



March 17, 1959 s, SERQN 2,877,598

MOUTHPIECE COVER Filed Jan. 18, 1957 United States PatentO 2,877,598MOUTHPIECE COVER Sui-en M. Serou, Juliet, 111. Application January 18,1957, Serial No. 635,045 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-179) This invention relatesto a mouthpiece cover and in particular to a guard for protecting themouth of a person utilizing an instrument having a mouthpiece as awhistle.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No.592,290, filed June 19, 1956 and now abandoned.

Where the user is involved in physical activity, such as sports, aconsiderable possibility of injury to the users teeth or oral regionarises as the result of inadvertent jostling or striking of the usershead or the instrument itself.

Another problem arising in the use of such instruments is that they areoften made of metal or similar heatconducting material and, when used ina sub-freezing atmosphere, tend to cause the users lips and adjacentoral region to freeze thereto. This freezing may be both extremelypainful and injurious to the user.

Another problem arising in the use of such instruments is that often anumber of different people may use the same instrument without a propercleaning thereof between uses. This may result in the transfer ofbacteria and similar undesirable material.

The principal feature of this invention is the provision of a new andimproved mouthpiece cover. Another feature is that the cover is arrangedto protect the teeth and oral region of the user both laterally andendwise of the mouthpiece.

A further feature is that the cover is readily replaceable allowing itto be removed for cleaning or discarding and allowing a pluralitythereof to be used by each of a plurality of persons, whereby eachperson may have his own cover for use with a common instrument.

Still another feature is that the cover is formed of resilient materialfor improved shock absorption and protection of the teeth and oralregion of the user, the resilient nature thereof allowing a firmretention of the cover on the mouthpiece.

Yet another feature of the invention is that the cover is of simple,one-piece construction aifording economy of manufacture and simplicityof maintenance.

A still further feature of the invention is the provision of a cover foruse with an instrument mouthpiece, arranged for positive retention onthe instrument.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mouthpiece cover embodying theinvention, installed on a whistle;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with portions broken away;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation thereof; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view thereof.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, as seen in Figures 1 to 4of the drawings, a whistle cover 110 is shown mounted on the mouthpiece111 of an instrument such as whistle 112. It should be understood thatthe inventive concept comprehends mouthpiece 'ice covers suitable foruse with instruments and devices other than whistles, and the specificconstruction shown is illustrative of covers usable with such otherinstruments and devices.

Cover is preferably formed of a resilient material, such as latex rubberor soft plastic material, which is both yielda'ole and soft, and of lowheat conductivity. A tubular portion 13 of the cover is arranged toconform generally to the shape of and to be yieldably disposed overmouthpiece 111 of the whistle, as best seen in Figure 2. At its innerend, portion 113 is provided with an inturned flange portion 113a whichis adapted to cover the end of mouthpiece 111, with the opening 1131bdefined by portion 113a having a substantial area to maintain theopening 111a through the mouthpiece completely accessible. By makingportion 113 slightly smaller than the mouthpiece, when the cover isdisposed on the mouthpiece, it will be held thereon by the grippingaction of the resilient material, while yet allowing ready removal, whendesired.

At the outer end of tubular portion 113, the cover is provided with alaterally extending portion for protecting the lips of the user fromcontact with the whistle body. In the embodiment of the drawings, thisextension comprises a depending apron, or extension, which may be madeintegral with tubuiar portion 113 and which is arranged to extend asubstantial distance to assure prevention of lip contact with thewhistle. In instruments where contact above the mouthpiece might occur,an upstanding element (not. shown) may be provided, and similarlaterally sidewardly extending elements may be used where desired.

An illustrative use of my device showing certain of the features thereofwould be one wherein a whistle were employed in an athletic exercise outof doors on a cold day with several persons successively utilizing thewhistle. Each of the persons could use his or her own cover by simplyremoving the previously installed cover and subc ituting his or her own.The whistle mouthpiece could be allowed to remain in the mouth of theuser with the tubular portion 113 protecting the users teeth and mouthfrom contact with the whistle mouthpiece, the flange portion 113aprotecting the users teeth from an inward movement of the mouthpiecethereagainst, and the extension 115 protecting the users lower lip frominjurious contact with the whistle body.

Upon removal from the mouthpiece, cover 10 may be cleaned by suitablewashing, the simple construction thereof allowing complete and simplcleaning. Further, because of the simple construction, the cost of themanufacture of the cover is extremely low allowing replacement thereofwhenever desired.

At the upper outer end of the tubular portion 113, is a reinforcing boss114 which is preferably formed integrally with the tubular portion. Boss114 acts as an improved grasping means for use in moving the tubularportion 113 over the whistle mouthpiece and further serves to reinforcethe tubular portion against tearing or similar deformation.

Extension 115 is arranged to extend around a major portion of a body 116of the whistle. Extension 115 com prises a front portion 115::functioning to prevent contact of the users lip with the whistle body.

To improve the positive retaining action of extension 115 around whistlebody 116, a pair of side walls 115b and 115s extend from tubular portion13 to adjacent the outer end of extension 115. Extension 115 thusdefines a recess 117 in which a major portion of the whistle body 116 iseffectively locked, thereby positively retaining the whistle cover onthe whistle. When it is desired to remove the cover from the Whistle,the resilient nature of the cover allows the ready swinging of theextension 115 about aeration 3 the outer end of tubular portion 113 toslip the extension from the whistle body and allow the longitudinalwithdrawal of the tubular portion from mouthpiece 111.

The conventional whistle is provided with a connecting ring 118 securedto the whistle by means of a post 119 projecting from the rear portionof the whistle body. To permit extension 115 to surround a suificientportion of the rear of the whistle body, an indentation 1150. may beprovided in the outer end of the extension.

, While the conformable nature of the cover 110 causes the externalconfiguration of the whistle to be reproduced by the enclosing coverportions, to provide improved retaining coaction with the users frontteeth, the tubular portion may be formed at 120 to present an externalconfiguration similar to the ridge 121 conventionally formed on thewhistle mouthpiece. It should be noted that the coaction between portion120 and the ridge 12.1 serves as an additional positive cover retainingmeans.

In installing cover 110, reinforcement 114 provides an improved meansfor grasping tubular portion 113 and moving it over mouthpiece 111 ofthe whistle. Extension 115 may be concurrently employed in urging thetubular portion over the mouthpiece, and, when the tubular portion isfully installed the extension may be allowed to swing automatically intoplace around the whistle body. The improved locking retention of thecover 110 precludes the inadvertent removal of the cover from thewhistle due to such a condition as a decrease in the frictionalretaining force occasioned by introduction of moisture such as salivabetween whistle mouthpiece 111 and cover portion 113. This positiveretention, together with the yielding nature of the resilient cover,which permits the mouth muscles to contract properly, allows theretention of the whistle in the users month over protracted periods oftime without discomfort to the user or accidental separation of the.cover from the whistle.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for protecting the mouth of a person utilizing an instrumenthaving a mouthpiece arranged for normal use and a body, said meanscomprising a yieldable cover having a first, tubular portion readilyremovably disposable over the mouthpiece and another portion extendingtransversely from the tubular portion to preclude contact of the lowerlip of the user with the instrument body, said another portion furtherhaving side walls and extending from said tubular portion to havepartial surrounding relationship with the instrument body transverselyof the tubular portion to lock releasably the cover on the instrument.

2. Means for protecting the mouth of a person utilizing an instrumenthaving a mouthpiece arranged for normal use and a body provided with asupporting means extending therefrom opposite said mouthpiece, saidmeans comprising a yieldable cover having a first portion readilyremovably disposable over the mouthpiece and an extension depending fromthe first portion for surrounding the instrument body at least to apoint opposite the mouthpiece, said extension being provided with anindentation for avoiding interference by the instrument supportingmeans.

3. Means for protecting the mouth of a person utiliz ing an instrumenthaving a mouthpiece and a body extending from an end of the mouthpiece,comprising a cover having a first, tubular portion readily removablydisposable over the mouthpiece and a locking portion extending from oneend of the tubular portion and having a transverse wall precludingcontact of the mouth of the person with the body of the instrument, saidlocking portion further being arranged to extend around the body of theinstrument to engage the body on a surface portion thereof extendingtransversely to and facing away from themOuthpiece portion thereby tolock the cover on the instrument. "T

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS856,813 Schultz June 11, 1907 1,152,447 Sproull Sept. 7, 1915 1,576,099Dessau Mar. 9, 1926 1,748,460 Petrie Feb. 25, 1930 1,867,903 Wilcox July19, 1932 2,053,982 Weiss Sept. 8, 1936 2,244,288 Colby June 3, 19412,696,382 Gelardin Dec. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,049,236 France Aug.12, 1953 M JU

